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Ask Engadget: Which charities give gifts to those in need?
The support shared among readers in the comments section is one of the things we love most about the Engadget community. Over the years, we've known you to offer sage advice on everything from Chromecasts and cameras to drones and smartphones. In fact, our community's knowledge and insights are a reason why many of you participate in the comments. This week's question asks which are the best gift-giving charities. Weigh in with your advice in the comments -- and feel free to send your own questions along to ask@engadget.com! What charities donate gifts to people in need?
How to set up a phone or tablet for a child
The days of simply remembering to buy some AA batteries are over. Parents now spend more time in the lead-up to Christmas and birthdays performing system updates and charging controllers than wrapping boxes or installing batteries. But there's another wrinkle in gifting electronics to children that, if you don't get right, will make your life way more difficult than it needs to be: family controls. While it's not for me, or anyone, to dictate your parenting style, I am constantly surprised at how poor a grasp my friends have on their children's electronic lives. Every horror story about a kid racking up hundreds of dollars of in-app purchases is absolutely preventable, and, when used correctly, family plans and controls can serve as a solid way to educate your family on online safety, controlled spending, the power of advertisements and other aspects of digital wellbeing. My family uses iPhones and iPads, so this article will largely focus on those devices, but Google has a similar suite of options for Android, which I'll briefly touch on and link out to for more information.
Holiday shopping can be a chore. Let us help!
There's a scant 68 days until Christmas is once again upon us, and 65 until Hanukkah begins. There are likely plenty of people left on your shopping list, including those few who are always impossible to buy for (looking at you, Dad) so we want to lend you a helping hand: If you find yourself stymied by gadget- or tech-related questions as you start shopping, give us a shout! Email ask@engadget.com to get answers on everything from "What is the easiest home assistant to set up for my parents?" to "What will the teenager on my list actually appreciate?" Just don't ask us to wrap anything for you.
The Morning After: Wednesday November 2nd, 2016
Yes, it's the start of hump day, but you may have missed Google revealing unpatched Windows 10 bugs, the truth of the dark web and (in cheerier news) our beautiful Engadget Holiday Gift Guide. We also take a closer look at Xiaomi's plan to become more than just the king of budget smartphones.
7 gifts for sports fanatics
Winter is coming. And with it also comes the need to show the loved ones in your life just how much you care for them by spending, spending, spending on gifts. Trouble is, there are just so many options to choose from. What you really need is someone, some outside force to hold your credit card-holding hand. And boy, do we have some suggestions for you. Happy Holidays! You're very welcome.Whether someone you know is an athlete or just one of the (many) people that loves and admires them, our gifting picks should cover all the bases.
9 gifts for animal lovers
Winter is coming. And with it also comes the need to show the loved ones in your life just how much you care for them by spending, spending, spending on gifts. Trouble is, there are just so many options to choose from. What you really need is someone, some outside force to hold your credit card-holding hand. And boy, do we have some suggestions for you. Happy Holidays! You're very welcome.Because pets (and the people who love them) deserve presents, too.Image credit: NY Daily News via Getty Images
9 naughty and nice gifts
Winter is coming. And with it also comes the need to show the loved ones in your life just how much you care for them by spending, spending, spending on gifts. Trouble is, there are just so many options to choose from. What you really need is someone, some outside force to hold your credit card-holding hand. And boy, do we have some suggestions for you. Happy Holidays! You're very welcome.Not everyone's looking to find the latest gaming console, set of chef knives or wholesome [insert foreign culture here] cookbook boxed up with a bow this holiday season. For those folks that like to unwrap their presents after dark, we've got more than a few salty suggestions to get you (and them) in the spirit.Image credit: Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images
7 awesome gaming gifts
Winter is coming. And with it also comes the need to show the loved ones in your life just how much you care for them by spending, spending, spending on gifts. Trouble is, there are just so many options to choose from. What you really need is someone, some outside force to hold your credit card-holding hand. And boy, do we have some suggestions for you. Happy Holidays! You're very welcome.Chances are you know someone you hold dear who just loves video games. Heck, that person might even make a living from playing them online for an audience. Whatever the case may be, there's no better way to treat the gaming enthusiast in your life this holiday season than with a fresh new console and some interactive art. Take a peek at our picks below.Image credit: SSPL via Getty Images
IBM's supercomputer knows what'll be hot this holiday
After elbowing its way into hospitals and restaurants, it was inevitable that IBM's supercomputer would turn its attention towards the retail business. IBM has launched Watson Trend, a service that harnesses Watson's deep learning smarts in order to discover the hottest and most desirable products to buy this holiday season. The machine will work out what's hot (and what's not) by trawling the web, looking through everyone's public conversations on social media, blog posts and product reviews. Once the information has been found, it'll run sentiment analysis to determine how people really feel about their new smartphones, TVs and tablets to work out the ones folks love the most.
7 gifts for a killer living room
Winter is coming. And with it also comes the need to show the loved ones in your life just how much you care for them by spending, spending, spending on gifts. Trouble is, there are just so many options to choose from. What you really need is someone, some outside force to hold your credit card-holding hand. And boy, do we have some suggestions for you. Happy Holidays! You're very welcome.The advent of 4K has rendered the concept of HDTVs... 'quaint.' But now, cable's feeling that burn, too, from the likes of streaming dongles and services. Nowadays, to get that perfect home entertainment setup, you don't need anything more than an electrical outlet and a broadband connection to get your TV, movies and music wherever, whenever and however you like it. Because you're not just a couch potato anymore, you're a couch potato aficionado. See for yourself below.Image credit: Getty Images
11 gifts for audiophiles
Winter is coming. And with it also comes the need to show the loved ones in your life just how much you care for them by spending, spending, spending on gifts. Trouble is, there are just so many options to choose from. What you really need is someone, some outside force to hold your credit card-holding hand. And boy, do we have some suggestions for you. Happy Holidays! You're very welcome."Music brings the people together," a grande dame once sang in her characteristic sprechstimme. But what of the audiophiles? What brings them together? High-class sonic kit and the bragging rights that come with it, that's what. Check out our choice selects below for the braggadocio you call bae.Image credit: Mondadori via Getty Images
10 gifts for a smarter home
Winter is coming. And with it also comes the need to show the loved ones in your life just how much you care for them by spending, spending, spending on gifts. Trouble is, there are just so many options to choose from. What you really need is someone, some outside force to hold your credit card-holding hand. And boy, do we have some suggestions for you. Happy Holidays! You're very welcome.Wanna be the 2015 techie version of Martha Stewart? Do you know someone who is? Then take a look at our selections below that should please the hip and happy homemaker you hold dear.Image credit: Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images
What to get when you want high-tech grooming
It's that time of year again! You know, the one when you have to hand over your hard-earned cash or dole out the credit card digits to get the loved ones in your life a little something celebratory. Lucky you, we've got a slew of great recommendations in our easy-on-the-eyes Holiday Gift Guide. Need something for that hygiene freak in the fam? Then consider this: Philips' Sonicare AirFloss gets the gunk out from between your teeth using a combo of air blasts and water drops. And it's wireless, so you can clean that grill whenever and wherever you like. And that's just a taste of what our gift guide has to offer. Dive in here for the full monty!
What to get when you want a smarter kitchen
It's that time of year again! You know, the one when you have to hand over your hard-earned cash or dole out the credit card digits to get the loved ones in your life a little something celebratory. Lucky you, we've got a slew of great recommendations in our easy-on-the-eyes Holiday Gift Guide. Need something for that tech savvy homemaker in the fam? Then consider this: Drop's Bluetooth-connected Scale links up with a smartphone or tablet so you can precisely measure out ingredients to make the perfect meal. It also comes with a companion app packed with recipes and a conversion tool so you can adjust those measurements on the fly. And that's just a taste of what our gift guide has to offer. Dive in here for the full monty!
Reminder: Help us build a gadget room for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital!
#enGIVEget means you give and they get -- "they" being the brave and wonderful kids going through life-saving treatment at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. And knowing you're busy with the holidays, let us take a moment to remind you about our sweepstakes ending this Friday, December 19th.
What to get when you've got little kids in your life
It's that time of year again! You know, the one when you have to hand over your hard-earned cash or dole out the credit card digits to get the loved ones in your life a little something celebratory. Lucky you, we've got a slew of great recommendations in our easy-on-the-eyes Holiday Gift Guide. Need something for that little kid in the fam? Then consider this: Activision's latest Skylanders Trap Team line lets kids bridge playtime between the real and virtual worlds. Each figurine comes embedded with an NFC chip, so you can control them as playable characters in-game (console sold separately). Or, you know, you could always just line 'em up and admire them on a shelf. And that's just a taste of what our gift guide has to offer. Dive in here for the full monty!
What to get when you've got a fitness fanatic in your life
It's that time of year again! You know, the one when you have to hand over your hard-earned cash or dole out the credit card digits to get the loved ones in your life a little something celebratory. Lucky you, we've got a slew of great recommendations in our easy-on-the-eyes Holiday Gift Guide. Need something for that fitness fanatic in the fam? Then consider this: Motorola's Moto 360 does double duty as a sleek Android Wear smartwatch and a fitness tracker, so you can keep tabs on your heart rate, steps and overall activity. And that's just a taste of what our gift guide has to offer. Dive in here for the full monty!
What to get when you want a smarter home
It's that time of year again! You know, the one when you have to hand over your hard-earned cash or dole out the credit card digits to get the loved ones in your life a little something celebratory. Lucky you, we've got a slew of great recommendations in our easy-on-the-eyes Holiday Gift Guide. Need something for that smart home enthusiast in the fam? Then consider this: Nest's Learning Thermostat not only keeps tabs on your home habits, its tracking tech saves you money on that monthly heating and cooling bill. And that's just a taste of what our gift guide has to offer. Dive in here for the full monty!
Engadget presents #enGIVEget: benefiting St. Jude!
Now that our readers (and most Engadget editors) have stuffed their pie holes full of food and done some serious damage with their credit cards over the biggest shopping weekend of the year, it's time we gave a little bit, too. Here's where our #enGIVEget sweepstakes, benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® comes in.
What to get when you've got a gamer in your life
It's that time of year again! You know, the one when you have to hand over your hard-earned cash or dole out the credit card digits to get the loved ones in your life a little something celebratory. Lucky you, we've got a slew of great recommendations in our easy-on-the-eyes Holiday Gift Guide. Need something for that video gaming fanatic in the fam? Then consider this: Sony's PlayStation 4 has plenty of next-gen horsepower under the hood and all of the streaming apps you'll ever need. It also doesn't hurt that it's home to some of the best exclusive first-party and indie titles out there. And that's just a taste of what our gift guide has to offer. Dive in here for the full monty!